1969

In 1968, Sud-Aviation received a request of the Indian Air Force for a helicopter capable of operate in high altitude.
Differences between the Alouette II includes three tail rotor blades, forward U/C dampers and strike guard over T/R drive shaft.

It was primarily built in India as HAL Cheetah and in Brazil as Helibras HB.315B Gaviao

On June 21, 1972 a Lama reach major altitude world record for an helicopter: 12.442 m ( ~ 41,000 ft )

It was the main rescue helicopter on both the asian Himalayas and southamerican Andes for decades, being succeeded from 1997 by the B3 variant of the Squirell

SA315 Lama differs from the SA313 Alouette II principally in its single Turbomeca Artouste IIIb engine. Hover performance (in and out of ground effect) was also improved by a factor of 5.

News about this Model:

WWII plane rescue in the Andes Mountains, 21-Feb-00 : TUPUNGATO, Mendoza, Argentina - Army specialists worked Monday at the site of a 1947 plane crash high in the Andes Mountains, hoping to bring down pieces of the plane and remains of passengers missing for decades.

Lama celebrates 30 Years, 15-Mar-99 : Marignane, France - On March 17, 1969 the SA315B Lama made its maiden flight. Three years later, on June 21, 1972, Jean Boulet reached an altitude of 12,442m, setting an outright world altitude record that remains unbeaten to this day.